Wire-fence machine



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* VWIRE HINGE` MACHINE. No. 508,074. Patented Nov. 7, 1893.

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No. 508,074. PatentedlNov. 7, 1893.

Wmsscsr Y y UNITED t STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO B. WOODARD, OF 'HORNELLSVILLIL` NEW YORK.

WIRE-FENCE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,074, dated November '7, 1893.

' Application filed ra'mlry 4.v 1,1891. sesamo. 380.163. oramai.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALONZO B. WooDAED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hornellsville,in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Wire Fencing, of which the following isa specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object to provide a machine for making a nonbarbed wire fencing strand or strip of a strong, elastic and ornamental character, my machine being so constructed that all of its movements, necesf sary to handle and interweave the wire iu the formation of the strand, are rotary, so that it is capable of very high rates of speed, and the structure and arrangement of the mechanism being preferably such that a duplicationof the wire interweaving mechanism is easily provided for at but little additional expense.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. la is a detail section of the clutch connecting the driving shaft with the reel operating shaft. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my machine. Fig. 3 is an end view of my machine from the left of Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail viewsof the traverse mechanism. Fig. 7 is a det-ail Yview of the feeding and bending mechanism' showing its connections with the driving shaft. Fig. Sis a detail view of one of the adjustable bearings for the upper shaft carrying the feeding and bending wheels. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view to show theoperationof winding the binding wire on the longitudinal wires and bending or setting the bights of the former wire. Fig. 10 is a section on line 10-10, Fig. 9, and Fig. 1l a vdetail perspective view of the forward end of thestationary grooved shaft and the separating support and former thereon. A

A denotes the bed or table of the machine having suitable legs ct and provided on its upper surface withr standards o. in which is journaled the main ordriving shaftB having fast and loose pulleys B B2,a worm wheel o, a gear wheel b and a pinion b2.

The wire carrying and interweaving or binding mechanism which I will now describe 4 is shown in the present instance as being duplicated and both sets driven from the shaft IB, this being the preferable construction of my machine, and I will therefore describe one set of this mechanism, it being understood that the other set is just the same.

To the table AA is secured a standard a2 in which is xedly mounted a nou-rotary wire guide or shaft C having two separated, longitudinal grooves or passages c through which the wires W are to be passed, said shaft C terminating at its forward end in a flattened tongue or separating support c of a width about equal to the diameter of the said shaft between the bottoms of the said grooves c and of a thickness a little greater than the diameter of the longitudinal wires, said support also serving as a former around which the binding wire W is bent. The outer edges of the tongue or support o are preferably concaved or slightly grooved to prevent lateral displacement of the wire. Surrounding the stationary shaft C is a rotary sleeve D provided with a pinion d fixed thereto and meshing with the gear bof the driving shaft B, the said sleeve D being provided with a flanged disk or wire carrier d which is removably` attached thereto in any suitable manner, as by being screwed thereon or keyed thereto. y

On the sleeve Dv between the disk cl and the pinion d is mounted a. wire-carrying spool d2 which is` frictionally connected with the said sleeve so as to rotate therewith but which is capable of turning independently of said sleeve topermit the wire to be drawn off from l the said spool. This frictional connection between the spool d2 and the sleeve D is herein shown as being provided for by the coil spring d3 interposed between the rear end of saidspool and the pinion d.

The standard a2 is preferably so attached to the table A that it may be moved out laterally when it is necessary for a spool of wire to be placed upon, or an empty spool to be removed from, the sleeve D, and I prefer to provide for this lateral movement of the said standard by attaching the rear end of the IOO base thereof to said table by a pivot bolt a4 and removably securing the front end of said base to said table by a clamping bolt a5 for the reception of which the base is provided with an open notch a6, the said bolt being provided beneath thetable with" a handle a7 by which it may be turned to loosen the head of the bolt from the base of the standard or to clamp it tightly against the same. When the bolt a5 is loosened the standard may be swung outward on its pivot bolt a4, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, and when thedisk df is removed the spool d2 may be placedin position on the sleeve D or be removed therefrom. The standard a2, as herein shown, is provided with an arm a8 having vertical studs or bolts a, on which are mounted intermeshing gear wheels e secured to which, to rot-ate therewith, are' two setsl of Iluted or toothed crimping wheels e which also intermesh with each other but without touching. To one of the wheels e is bolted or otherwise secured a beveled worm gear e2 meshing with the worm wheel b on the driving shaft. In the machine herein shown the mechanism just described is duplicate, both sets or trains of mechanisms being driven from the worm wheel b and the gear wheel b on the driving shaft. The pinion b2 on the shaft B meshes with a gear f on a sleeve f 9 mounted on stud or short stationary shaft f attached to a standard a', said sleeve havingabeveled pinionf2 meshing with a beveled gear f3 on a transverse nshaft F carrying a gear f 6 which meshes 'with a similar gear f7 on a second transverse shaft F. The shafts F and F are each provided at each end with two toothed feeding and"wire bending wheels g so placed relatively to each other that the teeth of the lower and upper wheels overlap, each upper "wheel having a corresponding companion or lower wheel running close to it with its'overlapping teeth.

The operation of the mechanism thus far describedY is as follows: Wire being supplied to the crimping wheels is passed forward through the saine and is crimped or corrugated `'and then passes forwardthrough the grooves of the stationary shaft C and as the two wires emerge from the forward end of said shaft and pass over the supporting tongue c at the forward end thereof theinterweav ing or binding wire carried bythe rotating spool and running over small pulleys d8 on the disk d' is spirally wound over the longi-` tudinal or crimped wires, the latter being held apart by the said htongue or support while the interweavingorbinding wire is spirallywound about them, as `represented in Fig. 9, the foi"- ward movement of the longitudinal wires, as the binding wire is woundabout them, cans` ing this spiral disposition of the latter wire.

As the work is passed forward to the toothed feeding and bending wheels g, each set (comi prising an upper and lower wheel) of the latter closes inY on each bight of the binding or crossing wire `just inside of each longitudinal wire, forming the said bights into loops which are4closed"tightly on, the longitudinal wires, both limbs of each loop or bight being at the same time brought into the same vertical plane, or approximately so, so that the work now presents the appearance shown at the right in Fig. 9, forming an ornamental and very strong fencing strip. As the wheels g rotate in engagement with the binding or cross wire their hold thereon pulls on the work and feeds it forward, and thus the operation continues.` As all of these movements are rot-ary the machine may be ,run at a very high rate of speed. As the fencing strands are made, in the manner above described, they' are carried forward and wound on reels I-I carried by a shaft I, said reels being connected with said shaft, to rotate therewith, in any suitable manner. The shaft I, as herein shown, is journaled in a supplemental frame A attached to the table A.

J is the driving shaft for theA reeling mechanism said shaft being journaledin a crossbar A4 arranged in line with the main driving shaft B and connected therewith by means of a friction clutch shown in the present instance as consisting of the collars h and h the former fast on the shaft B and the latter connected with the former by screws or bolts h2. The collar h loosely surrounds the shaft J and the latter is provided 'with a disk or collar h3 inclosed between the collars h and The shaft J is provided with a beveled pinion- ICO m meshing with a beveled gear ion the shaft I to rotate the latter and the reels carried thereby. It is obvious that as the wire feneing accumulates on the reels they should rotate slower, and this variation in the speed of rotation of the said reels is provided for by the above described frictionalconnection between the shafts B and J which permits the latter shaft to drag, relative to the former, by the tension or pull on the fencing strands which are being wound on the reelsf N denotes a laterally movable or transverse shaft sustained by supports n and carrying flanged guide wheels or sheaves n under and in contact with which the fencing strands run as they pass to the reels. The traversing or lateral movements of the shaft n are imparted thereto by a lever n2 pivoted on the bar A4 and connected with said shaft and with a sleeve I loosely surroundinga right andleft screw I2 formed on the shaft I.

O denotes a yoke pivotally connected above and below, as by pins 0, to the sleeve I, said yoke having arms 0' the ends of which alternately enter the grooves of the said right and left hand screw,the insides ofthe ends of said arms being beveled or chamfered off at o2 to properly direct them past the V-shaped dividing ridge i4 between the parts of said right and left hand screw. The sleeve l is p'ro-A IOC.

tending projection oi on the pivotedjyoke O is interposed a coil4 spring o4 which 4being somewhat compressedhas a tendency to bulge' or belly out sidewise at its middle, and this tendency is utilized to exert a reversing stress on the said yoke O 4and to hold its armso al.- ternat'ely in contact wththe/ said right, and left hand screws. The grooves at the outer ends of these screws terminate in inclines running out to the surface of the shaft I where slight ridges or projections, as i6, standing. slightly above `or out from said surface and located so that as an armo runs out of its groove at the outer end of. ascrew it meets a projection orridge'i6 and the yokeis turned slightlyon its pivots to throw its opposite arm into engagement withthe. other Iscrew; and this operation .is assisted and the yoke held in either position, when` reversed, by the action of thespring. 04 which suddenly bulges out the other Way as the outer end of ythe yoke passes its central position. Thus the leve r N2 is vibrated back andforth to. traverse the shaftN laterally, causing the guide-Wheels or sheavesfn, carried by said shaft, todistribute the fencing strands smoothly and evenly on the reels To provide for. a proper overlapping adjustment of the bending and .feeding wheels g the shaft F', has adjustable .bearingblocks g above it, as shown in Fig. 8. As the press: ure of the upper wheels g en the. wire has a tendency to lift the shaft F the position thereof, when in operation, will.. be deter.- mined'by the, position of; adjustment of the bearing blocks g. above which are placed elasticbloeks g2 of rubber or other yielding material and aboye said elastic block g2 are placed metal plates g3 held down b y screws g4, and the position ofadj ustment of the latter determines 'the position of thebearing blocks g', and thus the amount of overlap of the wheels g may be regulated as may berequired.vv Y

Although, for compactness of construction, it may be desirable to mountthei reeling. mechanism adjacent to thestrand forming mechanism, as herein shown, and to drive it from the driving shaft of the latter mech; anism, yet it will be gunderstoodthat the said reeling mechanism may bei differently lo-` cated, as by beingplaced .at a greater distance from the othermechanism, and may be v operated separately .therefrom', .without departing frommy invention. If it be not desired tocrinip or =corrugate the longitudinal wires w ofthe fencingstrands the crimping wheels e( and their driving mechanism may be omitted altogether, and if it ,be desired to. substitute two or Inore intertwistedwircs, of smaller size, fo r each of the said wires w suitable means for twisting such wires may be provided.

Although I prefer, and haveherein shown, twinstrandsformingmechanisms, driven from a common shaft, it will be understood that a machine havinga single strand-forming mechanism of the construction shown, may be employed, if desired, without departing from my iriifentiomf'MV Having thus described my invention, I claim' and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a non-rotarywire guide, 'having two separated passages for the wire, of a separating support and former at the v forward end of saidpassages and ofa width approximately equal to the diametric space between them, anda yrotating spool carrierand spool to wind abindingwire spirally around the wires running through said wire guide and over said support and former.

i 2. .The combinationwith the vnonrotary wire guide 'orshaft C having the wirepassages c and provided at itsfforward end with the tongue or support and former, c', of the rotary sleeve D surrounding said shaft, and the wire,- carrying .spool mounted on said sleeve to rotate therewith but 'frictionally connected thereto so as to be capable of turning independently thereof.

5 3. The combination withanon-.rotary wire guidehavingtwo separated passages feriongitudinal wires, of a su pport-or former atthe forward' end of said passages to hold. said wires separatedand to serve as a former for;`

the bindingwire, a rotating spool carrierand spool to. wind said Abinding wire spirally around said longitudinal wires, andtwo sets ofover-lappin g, toothedbending and feeding wheels, forward ofsaid tongue, for closing the bights or loops of bindingv wire on to the longitudinal wires, and for feeding the work..

14. The combination with crimping wheels,A

and a non-rotary wire guide having two sepa-A rated passages for the longitudinal wires, of

asupport at the forward yend of saidpassagesto. hold. said wires separatedand to serve as a supporter formerfonthebinding wire, a .rotatingv spool carrier and spool to IIO wind said.binding wire.aro,und said longi.-

tudinai wires, and two sets ofA over-lapping, toothed bending and feedingwheels. 1

5.A The combination, with the non-rotary guide or holder forthe passage of the longif tudinal wires, vthe rotating spoolcarrier, Wire carrier and spoolsurroundingsaid guide, or holder, bending and feedingv wheelsand a driving shaft from which wheels, spoolcarrier, wire carrier and spool are operated,.of a

reeling, mechanism, a driving shaft -to opel:-A

ate said reeling mechanism and having africf l tional connection with the said first-named.

drivingshaft.

6. In afencing-strand formingmalhine, the

combination with a nonrotary wire .guide having two separated passages forlongitudinal. wires, of a separatingsupport o .r for mer at the forward end of said passages, a. rotat;vr

ing spool icarrier and-spool, two sets of overlapping, toothed wire-bending andworkffeed.-

ingwheels, a driving shaft-forsaid spool car rier and bending and feeding Wheels, a reel?.

ing mechanismfor the fencingnstrand or.

` strands and driving shaft for said reeling mechanism having a frictional connection with the said first named driving shaft.

7. The combination with the non-rotary wire guide, its tongue or separating support, and the rotating spool carrier and spool, of a laterally movable standard by which said parts are supported and which may he moved out sidewise when it is necessary to place a spool of wire in position or remove an empty spool.

8. The combination `with the non rotary wire guide or holder, its tongue or former, the rotating spool carrier, the removable disk or carrier and the spool, of the standard a? by which the said parts are carried, the table A to which one end of the base of said standard is pivoted, and a clamping device for removably securing the other end of said base to said table.

9. The combination with the shaft B provided with worm wheel Z), of the beveled worm gear wheel meshing with said worm wheel, two sets of crimping Wheels and intermeshing gear wheels operated from said worm gear wheel and serving to drive said crimping wheels, a non-rotary wire guide or holder, through which the crimped longitudinal wires pass, and a rotating spool carrier, wire carrier and spool for windinga binding or filling wire around the crimped longitudinal wires.

10. The combination with the driving shaft B having the gear Wheel b', of the non-rotary wire guiding shaft O having the separated Wire passages c and provided at its forward end with the tongue or former c' and the rotary spool-carrying sleeve D surrounding said shaft C and havinga pinion meshing with said gear wheel.

11. The combination with the driving shaft B 4having the gear wheel b and the pinion b2, of the non-rotary wire guiding shaft C, the rotary spool carrying sleeve D having a pinion meshing with said gear wheel, the transverse shafts F and F geared t`o'and driven from said pinion b2, and the overlapping, toothed wire bending and feeding wheels carried by said transverse shafts.

12. The combination with the standard 01,2 having arm aa, of the non-rotary wireguiding shaft C mounted in said standard and having support or tongue c', the rot-ary spool carrying sleeve D provided with apinion, the driving shaft B having gear wheel b' and worm wheel b, the former meshing with said pinion, and the crimping wheels mounted on said arm as and driven from said worm Wheel b.

13. The combination with the driving shaft B having the gear wheel b and the pinion b2, of the twin sets of strand-forming and wire bending and feedingmechanisms driven from said gear wheel and pinion, each set of strandforming mechanism consisting of a stationary wire guide, with separated longitudinal passages for the wire, a separating wire support or tongue at the forward end of said passages and a rotary spool carrier and spool for carrying the binding wire.

14. The combination with the driving shaft B having the worm-wheelb, the gear wheel b' .andthe pinion h2, of the twin sets of wirecriinping, strand-forming and wire bending and feeding mechanismsdriven from said gear wheel and pinion, each set of strand-forming mechanism consisting of a non-rotary wire guide, with separated longitudinal passages for the wire, a separating wire, support or tongue at the forward end of said passages and a rotary spool carrier and spool for carrying the binding wire around said separating wire support or tongue.

15. The combination with thereel carrying shaft I provided with a right and left hand screw, of the traverse shaft provided with one or more strand guides, the lever for moving said shaft laterally of the reel or reels, the sleeve surrounding said shaft I, and to which said lever is connected, a pivoted yoke having arms to engage the grooves of said screw, and a spring to assist in throwing said yoke past a central position and to hold said arms in engagement with said screw.

16. The combination with the non-rotary wire guide having two separated passages for longitudinal Wires, of a separating support and former at the forward end of said passages, a rotating spool carrier and spool, two sets of overlapping toothed wire bending and feeding wheels, two shafts, F and F by which said wheels are carried, and adjustable bearings g' for one of said shafts.

17. The combination with the non-rotary wire guiding' shaft or holder C having the Wire passages c and provided at its forward end with the tongue or former c', of the rotary sleeve D, the disk or wire carrier d removably attached to said sleeve and the spool retained in place on said sleeve by said disk or wlre carrier.

18. The combination with a guide or holder through which the longitudinal wires pass, of a spool carrying the binding or filling wire, a rotating wire carrier for laying said binding or iilling wire around said longitudinal wires, and crimping or bending wheels which gather and compress the filling wire andwhich feed or. draw the longitudinal wires along lengthwise.

19. The combination with aguideorholder through which the longitudinal wires pass, of a spool carrying' the binding or filling Wire, a rotating wire carrier for laying said binding or filling Wire around said longitudinal wires, crimping or binding wheels which gather and compress the filling wire and which feed or draw the longitudinal wires along or lengthwise, and a reeling mechanism for taking up the completed fence strand.

20. The combination with the main driving shaft, of a guide or holder through which the longitudinal wires pass, a rotating sleeve geared to said driving shaft, aspool mounted IOO IIO

on said sleeve and carrying the binding or filling wire, and a rotating wire'vcarrier operated by said sleeve and serving lto lay said iillingwire around said longitudinal wires.

2l. The combination with the main driving shaft, of a guide or holder throughwhich the longitudinalwires pass, a rotating sleeve geared to said driving shaft, a spool mounted on saidsleeve and carrying the binding or iilling wire, a' rotating wire carrieroperat'ed by said sleeveand serving to lay said filling wire around said longitudinal wires,4 and bend-I ing or compressing and feeding wheels driven by a gear connection with said driving shaft.

v22.' The combinationwith the main driving'shaft, of a guide'or holder'through which the horizontal Wires pass," a rotating sleeve geared to said driving shaft, aspool mounted on said sleeve andK carrying the binding Lor zo llingwire, a rotating wire carrier operated by' said sleeve and serving to lay said filling Wire around said longitudinal wires, bending or compressing and feedingwheels drivenby and a rotating and lengthwise movingreel for' taking up the completedfence strand;

23. The combination withthe main driving shaft, of a guide or holder through which the longitudinal wires pass, a.v rotating sleeve geared to said driving shaft, a spool detachably mounted on said sleeve and carrying t-he binding or filling Wire, a rotating Wire ca rrier operated by said sleeve and serving Vto layv said binding or filling lwi're around said longitudinal wires, bending or compressing and feeding wheels driven by a gearconnection with said driving shaft, and a rotating and lengthwise v moving reel for taking up the completed fence strand. e

' In testimony whereof I affix my signatu re in presence 'of two Witnesses. ALONZO B. WOODARD.

Witnesses:

EWELL A. pion, HENRY CALVER. 

